You could say it’s because he’s my mate but I think we can all see how good he has been this season

Ron Vlaar

But while full of admiration and respect for the controversial Uruguayan hitman, Aston Villa skipper Vlaar will not be picking him as his Player of the Season.

And if he stands accused of being biased, so be it.

The Dutch defender is adamant his compatriot Robin van Persie deserves that ­accolade from his peers after blasting ­Manchester United to the brink of a ­memorable 20th title triumph.

RVP may have gone off the boil in front of goal during the last eight weeks – at the exact time Suarez has shed the cheat tag and started to find the ­target on a prolific basis.

That’s why coming into the ­weekend, the Liverpool striker, who faces Vlaar at Villa Park this afternoon, was top of the Premier League hot-shot charts with 22 goals, three ahead of second-placed Van Persie.

But, although impressed by Suarez’s ­dramatic transformation from serial diver to deadly finisher, Vlaar is still backing United’s leading scorer to scoop the prestigious end-of-season PFA award from his peers.

“You could say it’s because he’s my mate but I think we can all see how good he has been this season. Even if Suarez has scored more goals than him, United are top of the league.

“And the ­difference is 15 points!

“I don’t know if it has ever been that big in the past in England but it is unbelievable. United have only lost three league matches so far and drawn only two.”

Not that those remarks diminish how highly he rates Suarez, a player he regularly locked horns with in Holland when ­Feyenoord were up against bitter rivals Ajax.

Vlaar, 28, is quick to praise the way – since around Christmas at least – the South American hothead has managed to alter so many derogatory opinions about his conduct.

After all, not long ago the Kop feared their idol would be driven out of England by the ­constant hate campaigns that followed every simulated fall, off-the-ball stamp or ugly verbal spat.

Now, with Suarez having cracked 12 goals in his last 13 league outings, the greatest threat to his Anfield future appears to be from a ­Bayern Munich swoop in the summer.

Vlaar, a £3.5million buy last July, said: ­“Suarez is on top of the scoring charts here – and he was top scorer in the Dutch league too. If he can do it in England, it says something about his capabilities.

“You can see he scores so easily. He’s always in the right spot and the way he dribbles with the ball is great. He’s very good, a very strong player – one of the best I’ve played against.

“You talk about the dives in England and it was the same in Holland. What can I say? Things happen. It follows him.

“There were some issues with it in Holland and it was talked about. Then it stopped. Like it has here. You don’t talk about it so much now and I think the quality of the player has made that change.”

Vlaar, however, is still warning his Villa team-mates to be on to be on their guard today for any potentially hazardous situations involving Suarez in and around the box.

“You don’t feel good if someone makes a dive and gets rewarded with a penalty. But it’s also part of the game. We have to try to avoid this situation happening,” explained the ex-AZ Alkmaar centre-half, capped 15 times by ­Holland.

If Paul Lambert’s fast ­improving strugglers can ­stifle Suarez, they stand a real chance of doing something unimaginable this time last month – recording three ­consecutive league wins.

Victory would also complete a league double over the Reds and send Villa’s survival charge into overdrive.

Vlaar, whose return to full fitness has coincided with the Villans’ upturn in ­fortunes, ­added: “I don’t know about the statistics showing we have better results when I am in the team.

“I have made mistakes this ­season. But I’ve said many times that winning gives a team ­confidence. That’s where it starts.